Plant Families Research Articles

Anti-Shigella and antioxidant-based screening of some Cameroonian medicinal plants, UHPLC-LIT-MS/MS fingerprints, and prediction of pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties of identified chemicals.

Ethnopharmacological relevanceShigella infection is a public health problem responsible for approximately 700,000 deaths annually. The management of this disease is impaired by the emergence of multidrug-resistant Shigella species, highlighting the urgent need to search for alternative treatment options. In this regard, investigating medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of dysentery, diarrheal infections, and/or associated symptoms in endemic regions might provide an opportunity to identify phytochemicals that could be further used as a basis for the development of future anti-shigella drug candidates. Aim of the studyThis study was designed to investigate the anti-shigella and antioxidant-based ethnopharmacological potency of some Cameroonian medicinal plants with an emphasis on pharmacokinetic properties of the identified chemical pharmacophore. Materials and methodsBriefly, plant species were selected and collected based on their ethnopharmacological uses and information reported in the literature. Crude aqueous, ethanolic, methanolic, and hydroethanolic (30:70, v/v) extracts from these plants were prepared and then screened for their anti-Shigella activity against four Shigella strains and cytotoxicity against Vero and Raw cell lines using microdilution and resazurin-based methods, respectively. The antioxidant activities of potent extracts were evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, NO, and FRAP scavenging assays. The chemical profile of potent extracts was performed using the UHPLC-LIT-MS/MS and the pharmacokinetic properties, druglikeness, and likely molecular targets of the chemical scaffolds identified were predicted using SwissADME and SwissTargetPredictor. ResultsThirty-nine (39) plants belonging to 26 plant families were harvested. Out of the 228 extracts tested, 18 extracts originating from 6 plants (15.38 %) were active (MICs 250–1000 μg/mL) and nontoxic toward Vero (CC50 129.25–684.55 μg/mL) and Raw cell lines (CC50 336.20 to >1000 μg/mL). Six potent extracts from the two plants exhibited moderate to potent DPPH (SC50 8.870–54.410 μg/mL), ABTS (SC50 12.020–27.36 μg/mL), and NO (SC50 0.02–195.85 μg/mL) scavenging activities. Later, these extracts showed interesting ferric iron-reducing power (1.28–12.14 μg equivalent NH2OH/g of extract). The shortest onset of action time (4 and 6 h) observed following inhibition kinetics studies was observed with extracts BFSHE, PMSE, and PMSM. The UHPLC-LIT-MS/MS and some databases (Mass Spectral Library (NIST 14), Human Metabolome Database (HMD), MassBank, SuperNatural 3.0, The Food Database (FooDB), and Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI)) allowed the annotation of 18 and 17 metabolites in the extracts from stem bark of P. macrophylla and B. ferruginea respectively. Pharmacokinetic prediction of these chemicals showed that compound 6 (4,6a-bis(Hydroxymethyl)-9a-methyl-3-oxo-1a,1b,3,5,6,6a,7a,9a-octahydrobis (oxireno)[2′,3':5,6; 2″,3'':9,10]cyclodeca[1,2-b]furan-5-yl methacrylate), compound 8 (Corynoxeine), and compounds 35 (Stachybotrydial acetate) demonstrated acceptable druglike and pharmacokinetic properties and might act through inhibition of kinase, transferase, protease, oxidoreductase, and family AG protein-linked receptors. ConclusionThe findings from this investigation demonstrated that Cameroonian medicinal plants are suitable reservoirs of anti-Shigella and antioxidant agents with good drug candidate properties.

Genome-wide identification and expression characterization of the GH3 gene family of tea plant (Camellia sinensis)

To comprehensively understand the characteristics of the GH3 gene family in tea plants (Camellia sinensis), we identified 17 CsGH3 genes and analyzed their physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, promoters, and expression patterns in different tissues. The study showed that the 17 CsGH3 genes are distributed on 9 chromosomes, and based on evolutionary analysis, the CsGH3 members were divided into three subgroups. Gene duplication analysis revealed that segmental duplications have a significant impact on the amplification of CsGH3 genes. In addition, we identified and classified cis-elements in the CsGH3 gene promoters and detected elements related to plant hormone responses and non-biotic stress responses. Through expression pattern analysis, we observed tissue-specific expression of CsGH3.3 and CsGH3.10 in flower buds and roots. Moreover, based on predictive analysis of upstream regulatory transcription factors of CsGH3, we identified the potential transcriptional regulatory role of gibberellin response factor CsDELLA in CsGH3.14 and CsGH3.15. In this study, we found that CsGH3 genes are involved in a wide range of activities, such as growth and development, stress response, and transcription. This is the first report on CsGH3 genes and their potential roles in tea plants. In conclusion, these results provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the role of GH3 genes in the development of perennial woody plants and offer new insights into the synergistic effects of multiple hormones on plant growth and development in tea plants.

Origins of the central Macaronesian psyllid lineages (Hemiptera; Psylloidea) with characterization of a new island radiation on endemic Convolvulus floridus (Convolvulaceae) in the Canary Islands.

A molecular survey of native and adventive psyllids in the central Macaronesian islands provides the first comprehensive phylogenetic assessment of the origins of the psyllid fauna of the Canary and Madeira archipelagos. We employ a maximum likelihood backbone constraint analysis to place the central Macaronesian taxa within the Psylloidea mitogenome phylogeny. The native psyllid fauna in these central Macaronesian islands results from an estimated 26 independent colonization events. Island host plants are predicted by host plants of continental relatives in nearly all cases and six plant genera have been colonized multiple times (Chamaecytisus, Convolvulus, Olea, Pistacia, Rhamnus, and Spartocytisus) from the continent. Post-colonization diversification varies from no further cladogenesis (18 events, represented by a single native taxon) to modest in situ diversification resulting in two to four native taxa and, surprisingly, given the diverse range of islands and habitats, only one substantial species radiation with more than four native species. Specificity to ancestral host plant genera or family is typically maintained during in situ diversification both within and among islands. Characterization of a recently discovered island radiation consisting of four species on Convolvulus floridus in the Canary Islands shows patterns and rates of diversification that reflect island topographic complexity and geological dynamism. Although modest in species diversity, this radiation is atypical in diversification on a single host plant species, but typical in the primary role of allopatry in the diversification process.

Species of the Western Palaearctic Genus Tetralonia Spinola, 1838 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) with Atypical Pollen Hosts, with a Key to the pollinosa-Group, Description of New Species, and Neotype Designation for Apis malvae Rossi, 1790

The long-horn bee genus Tetralonia consists of 35 Western Palaearctic species that are associated mostly with the family Asteraceae as host plants. A minority of the species are, however, exclusively associated with other host plants that have particularly large pollen grains, such as those in the plant families Caprifoliaceae, Malvaceae, and Onagraceae. This work presents a taxonomic account and morphological description of the assemblages of Tetralonia species with atypical (non-Asteraceae) host plants. It includes a key to the pollinosa-group, which contains most of the species, a description of three regionally restricted new species, namely T. eoacinctella Dorchin sp. nov., T. epilobii Dorchin sp. nov., and T. stellipilis Dorchin sp. nov., a lectotype designation for Eucera cinctella Saunders, 1908 [=Tetralonia cinctella (Saunders, 1908)], and a neotype designation for Apis malvae Rossi, 1790 [=Tetralonia malvae (Rossi, 1790)]. In addition, the name Eucera macroglossa Illiger, 1806 is confirmed as a synonym of Apis malvae Rossi, 1790; Tetralonia macroglossa ssp. xanthopyga Alfken, 1936 is officially placed in synonymy with Apis malvae Rossi, 1790; and Macrocera confusa Pérez, 1902 is listed as a doubtful synonym of Tetralonia scabiosae Mocsàry, 1879 (syn. nov.).

Genome-wide exploration and analysis of plant stress-responsive CAMTA transcription factor genes in Brachypodium distachyon and their expression patterns under environmental challenges

Calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) is a family of transcriptional factors, which are highly sensitive to various stressors and hormone signals. They are involved in regulating plant growth, development, stress response, and have distinct biological roles in different plant compartments. Although the gene families coding the CAMTA transcription factors have been identified and functionally characterized in many plant species, it has not been previously reported in Brachypodium distachyon, which is a model organism for genomic research in cereals and grasses. In the present study, seven novel CAMTA genes were identified in the B. distachyon genome, all of which contain the CG-1 (pfam03859) domain. Their sequence details were provided with exon numbers ranging from 10 to 13 and protein length varying from 836 to 1034 amino acid residues. All BdCAMTA proteins, except BdCAMTA1, were found to be acidic and localized to the nucleus. The BdCAMTA genes exhibit diverse responses to cold, drought, and salinity stresses, without being specific to any stress. Therefore, upcoming studies should prioritize the investigation of molecular mechanisms governing functional specificity and redundancy among individual members of CAMTA. These findings establish a valuable scientific foundation for future research concerning the roles of the CAMTA gene family in plants.

Comparative assessment of the change in the species composition of vegetation on the territory of the western field of RSAU-MTAA

The article presents the analysis of changes in the floral composition of the western field of the Ecological Station of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy for 4 years. The research object is located in the center of the megalopolis, it is subject to high anthropogenic load, as it is surrounded on both sides by a road network, and at the same time it is part of the facies of the Forest Experimental Dacha. The site is characterized by close occurrence of groundwater, high density of upper soil horizons, heterogeneous soil structure and mesorelief, resulting of in flooding. As a result of a significant number of anthropogenic and abiotic factors, it is necessary to analyze the vegetation composition and the species richness of the area in order to assess the dynamics of variability of these conditions and to predict the potential stability of the biological diversity of the area. The changes in the species composition were analyzed by describing the vegetation and evaluating quantitative indicators: frequency of occurrence, abundance of species, degree of their dominance according to the O. Drude scale, as well as the Shannon index and indicators of species richness and saturation.The studies carried out showed a pronounced variability in vegetation cover from 2018 to 2022. During the study period, there was a change in plant families and an increase in species diversity: richness and saturation indices. In 2022, there was an increase in the number of species and an increase in the uniformity of their numbers compared to 2018.

Diversity of edible plants traded in the East Jakarta traditional markets, Indonesia

Abstract. Afrianto WF, Hasanah LN, Metananda AA. 2023. Diversity of edible plants traded in the East Jakarta traditional markets, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 6953-6968. Traditional markets provide limited assistance while facilitating transient or set-term direct retail interactions between buyers and sellers. Commodities traded in the traditional markets range from fresh produce, pantry, dairy, snacks, meat, fish, and wellness products. This study aimed to determine the ethnobotany of edible plant species in Indonesia's East Jakarta traditional markets. This study used an ethnobotanical approach qualitatively. The data were collected using purposive sampling, which included 157 sellers. This study found that 140 edible plant species (181 landraces) in the East Jakarta traditional markets belong to 50 plant families. Most plants were fruits (102 species), with herbs as the most dominant life form (90 species). Most edible plants must be cooked before consumption (40%) as vegetables (68 species). In addition, 166 species are cultivated, 8 are semi-cultivated, and 7 are wild-type plants. The edible plants observed in the traditional markets in this study are classified as highly available (79%) and can be found in all seasons (91%). The East Jakarta traditional markets have an essential role as a place of economic botany that can help balance the economy and conservation efforts. Consequently, traditional markets recreate an essential social-cultural function by combining cultural and biological diversity on a small scale.

An accretive detection method for in silico identification and validation of circular RNAs in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using RT-qPCR.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel class of non-coding RNAs, which are involved in various functions at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level in response to a fungal pathogen (Puccinia triticina), including microRNA (miRNA) sponge, RNA binding proteins sponge, regulation of parental gene and biomarkers. Detailed analysis of wheat circRNAs is essential to accelerate the regulated expression of fungal miRNAs. Therefore, we suggest a protocol to aid circRNA identification through RNA-Seq data using various algorithms based on perl script followed by validation through divergent primer designing, standard PCR, and RT-qPCR assays. The divergent primer has been widely used to detect, validate, and quantify back-spliced junction (BSJ) of circRNAs. The procedure covers index file formation, circRNA identification and BSJ detections. However, the laboratory validation of circRNA includes wheat genomic DNA isolation, RNA isolation and its cDNA conversion upto validation. In this study, we identified 28 circRNAs from RNA-Seq of S0 and R0, wherein six circRNAs are commonly present and 75% of the identified circRNAs were belongs to inter-genic, 14% were exonic and intronic category were 11%. Divergent primer designing method successfully validated the two circRNAs via RT-qPCR assay, where circRNA_2 showed less relative expression pattern than circRNA_1 in contrast with housekeeping genes. Thus, our results of identified and validated circRNAs showed that, this protocol is quite helpful, relatively easy, reliable, and accurate for large datasets as other algorithms need various dependencies and have complex scripts with high chances of error occurrence. Additionally, analysis time will vary depending on the expertise level and the number of RNA-Seq data. This proposed protocol can also be used for a wide range of monocotyledons belonging to the Poaceae plant family.

Analysis of Petrogenic Hydrocarbons in Plant Tissues: A Simple GC-MS-Based Protocol to Distinguish Biogenic Hydrocarbons from Diesel-Derived Compounds.

Diesel contamination of farming soils is of great concern because hydrocarbons are toxic to all forms of life and can potentially enter the food web through crops or plants used for remediation. Data on plant ability to uptake, translocate and accumulate diesel-derived compounds are controversial not only due to the probable diverse attitude of plant species but also because of the lack of a reliable method with which to distinguish petrogenic from biogenic compounds in plant tissues. The purpose of this study was to set up a GC-MS-based protocol enabling the determination of diesel-derived hydrocarbons in plants grown in contaminated soil for assessing human and ecological risks, predicting phytoremediation effectiveness and biomass disposal. To this end, two plant species, Vicia sativa L. and Secale cereale L., belonging to two diverse vascular plant families, were used as plant models. They were grown in soil spiked with increasing concentrations of diesel fuel, and the produced biomass was used to set up the hydrocarbon extraction and GC-MSD analysis. The developed protocol was also applied to the analysis of Typha latifolia L. plants, belonging to a different botanical family and grown in a long-time and highly contaminated natural soil. Results showed the possibility of distinguishing diesel-derived compounds from biogenic hydrocarbons in most terrestrial vascular plants, just considering the total diesel compounds in the n-alkanes carbon range C10-C26, where the interference of biogenic compounds is negligible. Diesel hydrocarbons quantification in plant tissues was strongly correlated (0.92 < r2 < 0.99) to the concentration of diesel in spiked soils, suggesting a general ability of the considered plant species to adsorb and translocate relatively low amounts of diesel hydrocarbons and the reliability of the developed protocol.

Shall we promote natural history collection today?—Answered by reviewing Ernest Henry Wilson’s plant collection process in China

Plant diversity exploration needs to be accelerated because many species will go extinct before their discovery and description, and many species-rich regions remain poorly studied. However, most contemporary plant collections prefer to focus on a specific group, which hinders the exploration and conservation of plant diversity. Therefore, we need an alternative approach to the dilemma at hand. The comprehensive Natural History Collection (NHC), which existed throughout the pinnacle of biodiversity exploration in the 20th century could be considered. We explore Ernest Henry Wilson’s (one of the most successful naturalists in the 20th) plant collections in China as a case to illustrate the advantages of NHC and discuss whether NHC deserves to be promoted again today. From multiple sources, we gathered 19,218 available specimen records of 11,884 collecting numbers assigned and analyzed the collected species, the collection's nature, and restored four routes of his explorations. Results reveal that Wilson's specimens were collected from 28 prefecture-level cities and 38 county-level regions of 7 provinces or municipalities, they belong to 200 families, 1046 genera, 3794 species, and 342 infraspecific taxa, approximately 41 %, 22 %, 10 %, 5 % of Chinese plant families, genera, species, and infraspecific taxa respectively. The Wilson case study shows that NHC is particularly effective in emphasizing species discovery and conservation, recording ecological information, understanding a region's flora, and developing landscape applications. Therefore, we strongly advocate for the expansion of natural history collections in species-rich regions. Furthermore, we recommend the employment of specialized collectors, the enlistment of international cooperation, and the standardization of guidelines for future NHCs.

Taxonomic novelties and global biogeography of Montagnula (Ascomycota, Didymosphaeriaceae).

Whilst conducting surveys of lignicolous microfungi in Yunnan Province, we collected a large number of taxa that resemble Montagnula (Didymosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales). Our phylogenetic study on Montagnula involved analysing sequence data from ribosomal RNA genes (nc18S, nc28S, ITS) and protein-coding genes (rpb2, tef1-α). We present a biphasic approach (morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence) that supports the recognition of four new species in Montagnula viz., M.lijiangensis, M.menglaensis, M.shangrilana and M.thevetiae. The global diversity of Montagnula is also inferred from metabarcoding data and published records based on field observations. Metabarcoding data from GlobalFungi and field observations provided insights into the global diversity and distribution patterns of Montagnula. Studies conducted in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America revealed a concentration of Montagnula species, suggesting regional variations in ecological preferences and distribution. Montagnula species were found on various substrates, with sediments yielding a high number of sequences. Poaceae emerged as a significant contributor, indicating a potential association between Montagnula species and grasses. Culture-based investigations from previously published data revealed Montagnula species associations with 105 plant genera (in 45 plant families), across 55 countries, highlighting their wide ecological range and adaptability. This study enhances our understanding of the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological preferences of Montagnula species. It emphasizes their role in the decomposition of organic matter in grasslands and savannah systems and suggests further investigation into their functional roles in ecosystem processes. The global distribution patterns and ecological interactions of Montagnula species underscore the need for continued research and conservation efforts.

Integrative Analysis of Oleosin Genes Provides Insights into Lineage-Specific Family Evolution in Brassicales.

Oleosins (OLEs) are a class of small but abundant structural proteins that play essential roles in the formation and stabilization of lipid droplets (LDs) in seeds of oil crops. Despite the proposal of five oleosin clades (i.e., U, SL, SH, T, and M) in angiosperms, their evolution in eudicots has not been well-established. In this study, we employed Brassicales, an economically important order of flowering plants possessing the lineage-specific T clade, as an example to address this issue. Three to 10 members were identified from 10 species representing eight plant families, which include Caricaceae, Moringaceae, Akaniaceae, Capparaceae, and Cleomaceae. Evolutionary and reciprocal best hit-based homologous analyses assigned 98 oleosin genes into six clades (i.e., U, SL, SH, M, N, and T) and nine orthogroups (i.e., U1, U2, SL, SH1, SH2, SH3, M, N, and T). The newly identified N clade represents an ancient group that has already appeared in the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda, which are constitutively expressed in the tree fruit crop Carica papaya, including pulp and seeds of the fruit. Moreover, similar to Clade N, the previously defined M clade is actually not Lauraceae-specific but an ancient and widely distributed group that diverged before the radiation of angiosperm. Compared with A. trichopoda, lineage-specific expansion of the family in Brassicales was largely contributed by recent whole-genome duplications (WGDs) as well as the ancient γ event shared by all core eudicots. In contrast to the flower-preferential expression of Clade T, transcript profiling revealed an apparent seed/embryo/endosperm-predominant expression pattern of most oleosin genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and C. papaya. Moreover, the structure and expression divergence of paralogous pairs was frequently observed, and a good example is the lineage-specific gain of an intron. These findings provide insights into lineage-specific family evolution in Brassicales, which facilitates further functional studies in nonmodel plants such as C. papaya.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge on Vegetable Plants Among Traders in Ujungberung Market, Bandung, West Java

Various edible plants, including vegetable are commonly traded in traditional markets of Indonesian cities. Three main objectives of this study: firstly, the elaborate local knowledge of traders on species and landraces of vegetable plants that are traded in the traditional market; secondly the origin supply of vegetable plants that are traded in the traditional market; and thirdly, the utilization of various vegetable plants that are traditionally used as the dietary diversity of the households. The research site was located in the Ujungberung traditional market, Bandung City, West Java. The mixed method of qualitative and quantitative with an ethnobotanical approach was applied in this research. The results of the study showed that based on local knowledge of the vegetable traders, it was documented that total 62 species and landraces representing 18 families of the vegetable plants were commonly traded. While based on a botanical taxonomy, it revealed 48 species representing 18 families. Of the 48 species, 9 species have landraces that are used as vegetable. Various vegetable plants that are commonly traded in the market come from the Bandung and surrounding areas. Traditionally, various vegetable plants are generally used as fresh vegetables and processed into special dishes. The benefit of this research is to development of ethnobotany science aspects, including the influence of human culture on edible plants traded in the traditional market of the cities.

The effect of Melissa officinalis on diet-induced hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress and inflammation

The Lamiaceae family is an essential medicinal plant family. Melissa officinalis L. is a well-known medicinal plant of Lamiaceae. It was aimed to investigate the effects of Melissa officinalis infusion given to rats with hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia in this study. It is seen that the high-fat diet (HFD) group causes weight gain from the third week. VLDL, LDL, HDL and cholesterol levels were found statistically significant differences (p˂0.05), fed a cholesterol-enriched high-fat diet group (HFD) compared to the control. It is seen that the cholesterol level of the high-fat diet+Melissa officinalis infusion (HFD+MOI) group was statistically significantly (p˂0.05). lower than the HFD group. In addition, the group in which Melissa officinalis was applied had positive effects on the antioxidant system and reduced the total oxidant system. The fact that the IFN-γ level of the HFD group was higher than the control indicates that the diet may have an inflammatory effect. As a result, HFD application with cholesterol caused hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia in rats. The cholesterol-lowering effect of Melissa officinalis is observed. Remarkably, Melissa officinalis did not alter serum calcium levels while lowering cholesterol. In addition, it can said that HFD has a strengthening effect on the antioxidant system on oxidative stress.

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene family in rye (Secale cereale L.): genome-wide identification, phylogeny, evolutionary expansion and expression analyses

BackgroundRye (Secale cereale), one of the drought and cold-tolerant crops, is an important component of the Triticae Dumortier family of Gramineae plants. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), an important family of transcription factors, has played pivotal roles in regulating numerous intriguing biological processes in plant development and abiotic stress responses. However, no systemic analysis of the bHLH transcription factor family has yet been reported in rye.ResultsIn this study, 220 bHLH genes in S. cereale (ScbHLHs) were identified and named based on the chromosomal location. The evolutionary relationships, classifications, gene structures, motif compositions, chromosome localization, and gene replication events in these ScbHLH genes are systematically analyzed. These 220 ScbHLH members are divided into 21 subfamilies and one unclassified gene. Throughout evolution, the subfamilies 5, 9, and 18 may have experienced stronger expansion. The segmental duplications may have contributed significantly to the expansion of the bHLH family. To systematically analyze the evolutionary relationships of the bHLH family in different plants, we constructed six comparative genomic maps of homologous genes between rye and different representative monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Finally, the gene expression response characteristics of 22 ScbHLH genes in various biological processes and stress responses were analyzed. Some candidate genes, such as ScbHLH11, ScbHLH48, and ScbHLH172, related to tissue developments and environmental stresses were screened.ConclusionsThe results indicate that these ScbHLH genes exhibit characteristic expression in different tissues, grain development stages, and stress treatments. These findings provided a basis for a comprehensive understanding of the bHLH family in rye.

Characterization of Pollen Grain and Pollen Extract from Common Allergenic Plants in the Philippines

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are prevalent in tropical countries like the Philippines. Pollen grains from anemophilous plant species may trigger these respiratory allergies. Pollen extracts from common allergenic plants are currently produced locally in the Philippines and are utilized for the diagnosis and immunotherapy of patients with respiratory allergies. Further improvement of their quality is necessary to avoid false negative or false positive diagnoses, as well as to increase the effectiveness of immunotherapy and avoid adverse reactions. This study aimed to characterize the morphology of the collected pollen grains and assess the pollen purity, protein concentration, and electrophoretic profile of the allergenic pollen extracts. Pollen identification and percent purity of the pollen collections were assessed via microscopy and hemocytometer. Lowry assay was performed to identify the total protein concentration of the pollen extracts before subjecting them to SDS-PAGE and silver staining. The pollen samples from varying plant families have distinct features that will aid in their proper identification. Collected aggregates of pollen samples with pollen purity of &lt; 90%, like T. procumbens, A. saman, L. leucocephala, and M. indica, manifest darker colors compared to their actual color. On the other hand, the color of collected pollen samples with pollen purity ≥ 90% are commonly yellow or off-white, which is their natural color. The total protein concentration of the crude pollen extracts ranges from 2.87–9.63 mg/mL. The pollen extracts revealed protein bands at molecular weights ranging from 10–250 kD on SDS-PAGE. Proper characterization of a particular pollen may help in assessing the purity of the collected pollen. Higher pollen purity may contribute to the assurance that the positive diagnosis was due to the target pollen of a plant and not due to contaminations from other components. The result of this study may be considered for the improvement of the crude pollen allergen extract production for clinical use. It is also recommended to assess the effect of the environmental condition where the pollen was collected in terms of the actual proteins present after allergen extraction.

Genome-wide analysis of C2H2 zinc finger family and their response to abiotic stresses in apple

C2H2-type zinc finger proteins are one of the most widely studied families in plants and play important roles in abiotic stress responses. In the present study, the physicochemical properties, chromosomal locations, evolutionary relationships, and gene structures of 54 C2H2 zinc finger protein (ZFP) family members were analyzed in apple. The MdC2H2-ZFP genes were phylogenetically clustered into seven subfamilies distributed in different densities on 16 chromosomes. The RNA-seq data from various tissues revealed that MdC2H2-ZFPs differentially expressed among root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruits. Quantitative analysis of its expression characteristics showed that the MdC2H2-ZFP genes were rapidly induced as exposure to abiotic stresses such as drought, salt and low temperature etc. Under drought stress, the expression of eight members was significantly up-regulated, and the highest was obtained from MdC2H2-17; as exposure to salt stress, nine MdC2H2-ZFPs was obviously up-regulated, with the highest expression of MdC2H2-13; and under low temperature stress, the expression of seven members was highly up-regulated, and MdC2H2-13 also demonstrated the highest expression which is same as the case under salt stress. Therefore, some members of MdC2H2-ZFP gene family considerably involve in the multiple abiotic stress responses, which may better understand the function of this family and facilitate the breeding of apple for stress tolerance.

Chemical Camouflage Induced by Diet in a Pest Treehopper on Host Plants.

Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them (myrmecophiles) use chemical strategies mediated by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to deal with ants. Thus, a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mutualistic interactions between myrmecophiles and ants depends on the accurate recognition of these chemical strategies. Few studies have examined whether treehoppers may use an additional strategy called chemical camouflage to reduce ant aggression, and none considered highly polyphagous pest insects. We analyzed whether the chemical similarity of the CHC profiles of three host plants from three plant families (Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae) and the facultative myrmecophilous honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae), a pest of citrus plants, may play a role as a proximate mechanism serving as a protection against ant attacks on plants. We found a high similarity (>80%) between the CHCs of the treehoppers and two of their host plants. The treehoppers acquire CHCs through their diet, and the chemical similarity varies according to host plant. Chemical camouflage on host plants plays a role in the interaction of treehoppers with their ant mutualistic partners.

An imprecise probability approach-based determination of over-represented southern African plant genera and families used in ethnopharmacology

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe analyses of patterns of over-representation of southern African traditional medicinal plants at the genus and family level provide information about the differences in plant use among southern African countries and disease categories. ‘Over-representation’ refers to the phenomenon whereby the proportion of plants belonging to a taxonomic group is higher in ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia than in the total flora. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to use the Imprecise Dirichlet Model (IDM) to analyse data from ten southern African countries to establish how over-represented medicinal plant families compare with over-represented genera, how over-represented medicinal taxa differ among countries in this region of Africa, and how over-represented taxa differ among six major disease categories. Materials and methodsFloral data for the total species composition of each country were obtained from online databases. Medicinal plant species lists were generated from published surveys, inventories, and books. IDM calculations were executed using the inverse of the cumulative beta probability density function in Microsoft Excel™. Python programming language source code was used to calculate Pearson correlation (r) values and Jaccard coefficients (J). ResultsNine of forty-two over-represented medicinal plant families in southern Africa (group 1) do not have over-represented genera. Seven of the forty genera with the highest margins of over-representation belong to under-represented families. Nineteen of the forty-two over-represented families have margins of over-representation smaller than the cumulative margins of their over-represented genera. Groups of countries with similar overall flora (J ≥ 0.333) are Botswana and Namibia (group 2), Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe (group 3). The families and genera with the highest margins of over-representation are Loganiaceae and Albizia in group 1, Combretaceae and Vachellia in group 2, Dioscoreaceae and Senna in group 3, and Sapotaceae and Solanum in group 4 (South Africa). The families and genera with the highest margins of over-representation across disease categories are Ebenaceae and Albizia, Canellaceae and Dicoma, Combretaceae and Pterocelastrus, Ebenaceae and Bersama, Francoaceae and Erythrina, and Aristolochiaceae and Strychnos for plants used in the treatment of STIs, febrile and mosquito-vector diseases, microbial infections, pain, skin conditions, and female sexual/reproductive problems, respectively. ConclusionsGenus-level calculations are more efficient in generating taxonomic lists that can be used for ethnopharmacological investigations due to the exclusion of under-represented genera. Limiting the size of geographical areas from which medicinal plant lists are sampled and targeting plants used to treat specific types of disease prevents the underestimation of niche over-represented taxa.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal wild plants sold at the Brikama market in The Gambia

Herbal markets, in turn, not only supply herbal treatment for diseases but also conserve biocultural diversity by transferring traditional knowledge to future generations This study aimed to document the vernacular names and therapeutic uses of wild medicinal plants sold and used by Brikama people in The Gambia's West Coast Region. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to document the wild medicinal plants sold at the Brikama market. The study was carried out between June and July 2023 using semi-structured interviews with 50 market vendors and 20 clients (laypeople) who uses traditional medicines from different age groups in Mandinka local language. The survey identified and recorded 71 plants species from 41 plant families, used for treating diseases in Brikama and its surroundings. The Fabaceae was the most represented plant family and most of the plants were trees and the leaves were the most commonly used plant part 51% followed by shrubs 38% and herbs 11%. The older generation primarily possesses knowledge about plant medicine, but youth should be encouraged to learn and preserve this knowledge through domestication, cultivation, and conservation measures.